


a regular customer of mine

by Bow_woahh



Series: Tumblr Prompts [12]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Cute, F/F, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Modern AU, when am I not writing those
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27235213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bow_woahh/pseuds/Bow_woahh
Summary: Catra works at a bakery and Adora comes by every day trying to build up the courage to ask her out (unbeknownst to her).
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Tumblr Prompts [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1379197
Comments: 26
Kudos: 217





	a regular customer of mine

**Author's Note:**

> It’s Catra’s birthday! This is my gift to her (and you guys) because she deserves the world and I love her sm <3

Boring. Catra finds almost every second of working at this pretentious bakery excruciatingly boring. But it’s the only income she has, the only way she can pay for her shitty one bedroom apartment and college, so she just has to suck it up and endure, like she has been, for what feels like far too long (it’s only been a few months). When she’s not serving snobby rich kids wanting every single item on the display or old people, or parents with their snotty kids who are crying because they want something with chocolate in it, she’s thinking about how eventually, she won’t have to do this anymore; that she’ll go to law school, then get a paid internship at the company she’s aiming for and then once she graduates she’ll get hired there permanently and—

“Catra! I, uh, think—if I’m not mistaken—that your break ended five minutes ago. And we’ve got a lot of people in line so, uhm, if you could—”

“Yeah, I fucking got it Kyle!” Catra says through gritted teeth, getting up from the sofa in the break room and going back out to the front. Taking a deep breath, she steps up to the counter and says in the friendliest voice she can muster to the next customer, “BMU Bakery, what can I get for you?”

It’s mind numbing. Saying the same thing over and over. And exhausting too, especially when she’s running on just a few hours sleep most days. That makes her irritable too, so really, it’s just a recipe for disaster. One day though, when she’s on her wits end, about ready to quit, something happens.

She’s at the front again, doing her best not to drive customers away forever, despite being ready to pull her own hair out and then theirs, when someone she’s never seen before comes into the bakery. Blonde, tall (or, at least taller than her), a BMU varsity jacket on—must be her boyfriend’s—and a bright smile.  _ Beautiful,  _ is the first word that comes to mind. Then lots more. But Catra can’t get ahead of herself, she won’t let that happen. This girl, whoever she is, is clearly taken. And Catra is clearly unfit for a relationship. Not that mystery girl would know that. And not that it matters. As she gets closer to the front of the line, Catra tries to lessen her staring (because it hasn’t done her any good so far, she’s probably messed up at the last two orders), because that would be creepy, right? If she caught her staring? Catra goes with a yes. 

“Uh, hi!” the girl says, as if they aren’t in a bakery.

“Hey…um, what can I get you?” she asks, looking down at the counter when it feels like she’s been staring for too long. 

“Hmm, yeah I’m not too sure honestly, my friends asked me to pick some stuff up but I don’t even know what’s good—I’m not really a bakery girl, y’know? I’m kind of like, a health freak, you know, 5-a-day, gym, sports and all—sorry I’m rambling. Any, uh, suggestions?” she laughs, almost nervously, while Catra just stares, a little bewildered.

_ So then the varsity jacket is probably not a boyfriend’s, _ is really the only thing going through her mind. 

Nodding slowly, Catra says, “Well, unless your friends are psychopaths, like you seem to be, just get them cookies and like, cinnamon rolls and I’m sure they’ll be satisfied.” 

“Okay! That sounds—wait, did you just call me a psychopath?” Blondie asks.

“Yep,” Catra replies, emphasising the ‘P.’

“I don’t think that’s very good customer service.”

“And I don’t think it’s normal to dislike baked goods, but here we are. Now how many do you want, blondie?” Catra asks, typing in the prices on the register. 

“Adora.”

“Huh?” Catra looks up at her then. Her eyes are a mix of grey and blue, the kind of eyes that pull you in and never let you back out.

“My name, it’s Adora.”

“Of course it is,” Catra scoffs.

Adora frowns. 

“You look like someone that’s adored, that’s all. Anyway, you’re holding up the line, how many of each?” 

(There’s only one other person behind her, but Catra needs this to go quicker, she can only handle so much of a pretty girl).

Adora considers for a moment longer, tapping on the counter—Catra also notices how short her nails are—before saying, “four cookies and two cinnamon rolls, please.” 

Catra calculates the total and then grabs the items Adora asked for, placing them in a paper bag with a few napkins. 

“Five dollars,” Catra says, handing her the bag. 

Getting out her wallet, Adora hands her a five dollar bill with a smile. “Thanks. What’s, uh, your name by the way?” 

She feels her stomach turn. “Does it matter?” 

“I mean, uh, yes? If you don’t wanna tell me you don’t have to, I just—”

“Catra. It’s Catra,” she says, gesturing to her name tag.

“Oh, yeah, of course. I should have probably—well, it’s nice. I like it,” Adora says, looking her right in the eyes. 

“I…thanks,” Catra replies. “Anyway, like I said, you’re holding up the line, blondie, so…”

“Oh, right, see ya around then!” she waves, leaving the bakery. 

Catra’s mind stays on her for the rest of the day. 

***

The next day, Catra doesn’t expect to see her. So when she does, she’s more than a little surprised. She plays it cool, of course, but on the inside her heart is beating so fast and her mind is going into overdrive as Adora waltzes up to the counter, once again with a smile on her face. She’s wearing that same letterman jacket, with a tight white tee underneath. Catra remembers how she mentioned that she goes to the gym and swallows. 

“Uh, if I’m remembering correctly blondie, didn’t you say you weren’t a bakery kinda girl?” Catra asks, raising a brow.

“Well…my friends are like, baked goods addicts, and I just finished my class, so, I thought, why not, be a good friend?” Adora says, leaning on the counter a little awkwardly. 

Catra hates that she finds it endearing.

“Right…sure,” she says with a slow nod. “Same as yesterday then?”

Adora doesn’t say anything, she just looks at her, which makes Catra extremely subconscious. Did she have something wrong with her face? Or was her makeup really that shitty today? 

“Hello? Dude are you, like, good?” She waves a hand in front of Adora’s face.

“Oh, sorry, yeah, I’m fine, just—are those contacts?” she asks, leaning a little closer.

Instinctively, Catra takes a step back. She takes a deep breath. “No, they’re just my eyes. Genetic mutation.”

“My bad! That was probably so rude, I just really like them. They’re, uh, pretty.”

Catra feels her face heat up. “Listen blondie, compliments aren’t gonna get you a discount, good try though.”

Chuckling, Adora says, “Yeah, well I guess my master plan failed. But, there’s lots of other reasons why you should give me a discount.”

“Oh really?” Catra replies, amused.

“Yeah, tons. For one, I’m a college student, and all students are broke—”

“You and me both,” Catra interrupts, scoffing.

“Okay, but I’m also an athlete. And athletes eat a lot. And finally…hmm, yeah I haven’t got one,” Adora huffs over dramatically. 

Rolling her eyes, Catra bites down on a smile as she says, “Good try but nope. Same price as yesterday.” She holds up the bag. 

“Okay, I accept defeat this time,” Adora replies, opening up her wallet.

When Adora is handing her the money, she notices a rainbow coloured wrist band.  _ Surely,  _ Catra thinks,  _ she can’t be straight.  _ This is really the only proof she needs, because everything else already points towards it. 

“Thanks!”

“Well, it is my job,” Catra says, only half sarcastically. “Until next time blondie.”

Adora only smiles in reply and Catra feels her insides vaguely turn to mush. 

***

After that, Adora comes in the day after that, the day after that, and the next. 

And Catra finds that it makes working there a lot less boring. 

***

On the third day she comes, Catra is half expecting it and half telling herself not to be too hopeful. Even when she does see the now familiar blonde ponytail at the back of the line, she convinces herself that it must just be coincidence, or that the bakery is just near to wherever she was. They go back and forth as they had the day before and the day before that, and all whilst they are, Catra tries to ignore the way her stomach turns.

On the fourth day, Catra is truly starting to think that it is not coincidental.

“Again? I think your friends have a problem, princess,” Catra says with a smirk, relishing in the way Adora’s face changes when she says it. 

“Uh, well, yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Adora is so much fun to tease. Easy too. Catra had used the nickname yesterday in passing, more jokingly than anything, but Adora’s reaction to it now meant it would have to be a recurring theme. 

On the fifth day, Adora comes in a little later than usual, sweat on her forehead and wearing shorts and a tank top. Catra feels unbearably hot all of a sudden. She’s not sure if Adora notices how badly she’s handling this—a pretty girl who’s clearly just come from an intense workout—but once she smirks when grabbing her bag and water, Catra knows the jig is up. She’s about to snap at her when the person behind coughs impatiently, and then, the smile fades from Adora’s face. 

“I’ll…see you later I guess,” Adora says, giving her a small wave. 

They never say tomorrow, Catra realises. Maybe because there’s no need to. 

***

Just as she is about to get off her shift that day, Catra notices Scorpia looking at her with a smile. 

“Dude, what?” she asks, irritated already. 

Damn that stupid old lady for interrupting their kind of flirting. 

“Nothing,” Scorpia says unconvincingly.

“I can tell something wrong. Spit it out, Scorp.”

“Well, this week you’ve been…less mean than usual. Even Kyle thinks so. And I think I figured out why. It’s that girl who keeps swinging by, isn’t? Adora Gray, right?”

Catra stops packing her bag and turns around. “How do you—how do you know that?”

Scorpia laughs. “Wildcat, she’s like a campus celebrity. How  _ didn’t _ you know her before this week?”

“Uh, maybe because I don’t care about sports Scorpia. And because we do completely different majors.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true. But that’s not what’s important—you have a crush!” Scorpia exclaims.

Walking up to her, she narrows her eyes. “No, I don’t.”

Completely ignoring her, Scorpia keeps saying it, over and over, until Catra covers her mouth. 

“I. Do. Not,” she says sternly.

Scorpia nods, and then Catra lets go. A mistake, on her part.

“Well, even if you don’t,  _ she  _ clearly does,” Scorpia grins.

Dragging a hand over her face, Catra groans. “No she doesn’t, Scorpia.” She turns around to continue packing her back. 

“Why else would she come in everyday?” She follows Catra out of the break room, keeping up with her even as she tries to get away to the car park.

“Her friends have like, an obsession with baked goods, or something,” Catra says, but even as she says it, she realises how poor of an excuse that is. Scorpia tells her as much, too. 

“Okay fine! It’s a shitty excuse, but clearly, if she liked me, she would have asked me out by now,” Catra huffs, throwing her bag into her car. 

Scorpia blocks her from getting in too, however. “Why don’t you ask her out then?”

Catra nearly recoils at the idea. She manages a scoff. “Dude, I’m not gonna ask out a stranger. So what if we’ve been flirting? Doesn’t mean anything.”

“I think it does…” she says in that singsong voice again.

“Scorpia!”

She steps out of the way. “Just…think about it, okay? Let yourself have this. You deserve it, Wildcat.”

Catra doesn’t say another word as she gets in her car. She waves Scorpia goodbye and tries not to think about Adora the whole drive home. Unsurprisingly, she fails.

***

It’s been nearly a week of Adora coming in every day now, and Catra decides that she can’t possibly ask her out, no matter what Scorpia says. 

Every time she thinks of doing it, her stomach churns and her throat dries up. The mere thought of a rejection makes her want to shrivel up and die. And now that she’s aware of Adora’s popularity, it makes it all worse. Someone like her would never date such a nobody. It wouldn’t even work, with the way Catra is. The fact she’s even entertaining this is beyond her. How did she let a little admiring and flirting get so out of hand? In the matter of days? 

Nevertheless, Catra still feels a sense of relief when she sees Adora walk through the door, smiling brightly right at her. Catra doesn’t even bother holding back her own smile today, even as she realises the irony of the fact that the only way she can get away from her thoughts about Adora is by talking to Adora. 

“Hey, Catra! How are you today?”

“I’m good, princess, better now even,” she says, deciding she might as well go all out from the start. Adora blushes, or at least that’s what Catra hopes that is. “You?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, kind of swamped with work at the moment. But my friends still want to go out to this big party tonight,” Adora sighs, as if that’s the worst thing ever.

Catra raises her brow. “A party, huh?” 

Adora nods. “Yeah, one of our friends is hosting it. I said I’d go ages ago, so I can’t really back out now.”

There’s a beat where neither of them say anything. 

Tapping her fingers on the counter, Adora asks, not quite looking Catra in the eye, “Maybe, if you're, uh, not busy…would you like to come? You could come along with your friends too, if you want.”

Catra opens her mouth to reply, but nothing comes out. She clears her throat. “Yeah, yeah, um, maybe. I'll see if I can.”

Adora smiles, then grabs a napkin, pulling out a pen from her bag. She slides it over to her. “Text me if you want the details.”

She nods. “Sure.”

Once she gets her regular order and they say their goodbyes, Catra looks down at the napkin. She has Adora's number  _ and  _ just got invited to hang out with her. The rest of her shift goes by in a blissful blur.

***

Catra doesn't end up going to the party. She doesn’t message Adora either. There’s no good reason to, other than to disappoint her. And she figures that by not turning up she already has. Or maybe she doesn’t care at all. Instead of going to the party, she goes to Scorpia’s house and they watch shitty comedy shows until they’re bleary eyed and half awake. Scorpia asks about it, why she didn’t want to go, and maybe it’s because she’s delusional from being up so late, or because she’s just tired of not admitting the truth, but she answers honestly.

“I guess I don’t…don’t wanna get hurt. She’s so much better than me Scorpia, and I just feel like she won’t want me. Not like I want her,” Catra says, squeezing the pillow in her arms a little tighter.

Scorpia shakes her head. “No, Wildcat, she’s not better than you. You are so amazing, and hardworking,  _ Adora  _ would be the one who’s lucky to have you. Okay?”

Catra bites the inside of her cheek. She wants to believe what Scorpia’s saying. So badly. She nods. “Okay. Thanks, Scorp.”

_ Next time,  _ Catra tells herself.  _ The next time I see her. _

***

The next time Catra sees her, it’s been nearly a week since Adora has last stopped by. Catra knows she should have messaged. In fact, she nearly did, but then she realised she had no clue what to say. Then the fear of ‘ _ what if she doesn’t answer?’ _ set in after that, or even worse, if she just told her to fuck off. Catra decided against it then—she would rather save herself from the embarrassment of  _ that _ and just wait to see her again here. That’s much easier. Familiar. 

So she waits. And as the week goes by she gets less and less hopeful and more and more irritable. It’s like she’s reverting back to how she was before. Really, it was only a matter of time. 

By Friday, Catra’s completely void of all hope. She’s moody, and sleep deprived, and disappointed. That is, until Adora walks through that door, smiling and laughing with two friends. First, Catra’s surprised to see her, then she’s kind of relieved (in the middle of the week she had wondered if maybe the reason she hadn’t stopped by was because she was in some sort of trouble, or was dead), though by the time they’re at the front of the line, Catra feels more annoyed than anything. 

Adora’s fine. She’s fine and she hadn’t bothered to come see her all week. 

Part of Catra knows how irrational and stupid that is. In reality, they hardly know each other and Adora not visiting the bakery shouldn’t be a big deal. Yet she’s still sort of upset about it. 

“Catra, hey!” Adora says, as if she was here just yesterday. “There are my two friends—you know, the ones I told you about—Bow and Glimmer.”

They stand either side of her, smiles on their faces as well. They’re both wearing very colourful clothes. Catra doesn’t like it. 

“So these are the addicts?” Catra grins, and it only widens when she sees the girl frown. “Arrows and Sparkles. Right.”

“Actually,” Glimmer says, “It’s—”

“So, what can I get you then?” Catra interrupts her and looks straight at Adora, mouth in a straight line.

Adora doesn’t say anything, she just continues to stare as well.

“Uh…me and Glimmer will have 2 chocolate chip cookies. And a hot chocolate, please,” Bow says, drawing Catra’s attention away from her. “Adora’ll be paying. She lost a bet.” He smiles, then drags Glimmer to wait over at one of the tables, leaving Adora and Catra alone. 

Catra makes the hot chocolate, back facing Adora. She can tell she was watching her the whole time. Sighing, she turns around. “Yes?”

“It’s been a little while.”

“Yep.”

“I was busy,” Adora says.

“We all are, princess,” Catra turns back around to finish making the hot chocolate.

“Is that why you weren’t at the party? Did something come up?” Adora says. Catra can tell she’s leaning over the counter to make sure she can hear her. 

“I don’t know Adora, maybe. It doesn’t matter anyway.” She places the cup down a little too harshly onto the counter.

“Doesn’t matter?” Adora scoffs. “Catra—”

“Adora, what’s taking so long?” Glimmer says, once again next to her.

“Nothing. Let me just—” she cuts herself off, taking a breath. “Nothing. Here.” Adora hands her the money quickly, then hands the stuff over to Bow.

“Uh, Adora, you gave me too much—”

“You can keep the change. I’ll, uh, see you around.” And just as quickly as she came in, she’s walking out again. 

Glimmer and Bow both linger a moment longer, looking at the door, then Catra. 

“What?” she scrunches up her face. 

Stepping forward to say something, Glimmer is stopped in her tracks by Bow, shaking his head before whispering something in her ear. “Come on, Glimmer, let’s go. It was, uh, nice meeting you, Catra.” 

As she watches them leave, Catra feels something inside of her sink. All because of a girl she’s known for two weeks. She scoffs at herself and gets back to work.

***

The next day, Catra is unsurprised that Adora doesn’t show up. A slither of her had hoped, but the rest of her knew there was no point in that. Not after yesterday. After a long few hours, she’s more than ready to go home, and rushes to the car park. The quicker she can get into her car, the quicker can get home, roll a joint and relax. 

Only, standing in front of her car is Adora. 

And the only thing she can think to say is: “Uh, you know this is like a staff car park right?” 

Adora lets out a light chuckle. “Scorpia let me in.”

“You know Scorpia?” Catra genuinely didn’t know that.

“Uh, yeah?” 

“You don’t sound too sure, princess,” Catra says, grinning. 

“Catra, I’m not here to talk to you about how I know your friend,” she says, crossing her arms.

Taking a step closer, Catra’s grin only grows. “Oh yeah, then why are you?”

“To…” Adora eyes travel down to her lips. “To talk.” 

She takes another step. If this is how it’s going to be, she can do that. “Just to talk?” she asks, eyes fluttering. 

It feels like, at least for a moment, Adora’s leaning in, leaning forward, finally giving Catra what she wants—but then she backs away, 

“Catra, Seriously. I just—I don’t get you! I thought you might have been into me but then you never showed up to the party. Though now you’re—and I—did I do something wrong? Or am I reading this all wrong?” Adora asks, brows creased.

Catra bites her lip, eyes travelling down to the ground.

“Please Catra, I need to know because I….I like you. And I would have told you earlier if it wasn’t for the fact I’m terrible at this kind of thing.”

Her heart rate picks up. “You…you like me?”

“Wasn’t it obvious?” Adora scoffs.

“Well. I guess, but—I don’t know—I didn’t think you wanted me like that. So I, uh, did what I do best. Avoid it,” Catra sighs.

Adora takes a step closer to her, then grabs her hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? It’s me who’s the dumbass.”

“How about we both be dumbasses?” Adora smiles.

Laughing, Catra squeezes her hand. “Yeah, sure.”

The two stand there for a moment, hand in hand, just smiling, enjoying each other’s company. 

“So…” Adora starts. “Does this mean you like me back?”

Catra rolls her eyes. “Uh, duh.”

“Wow, okay, great! Does that mean, you, maybe, uh, wanna go out sometime?” Adora asks, looking down at their interlocked hands.

Letting go of Adora’s hand, Catra grabs the collar of Adora’s jacket and pulls her towards her, until there is barely any room between them. “Just kiss me, you idiot.”

Adora happily obliges.

At first it’s hesitant, chaste, but then Adora grips her waist and Catra wraps her hands around her neck, and it’s everything Catra could have dreamed of. They’re smiling against each other, foreheads pressed together, listening to the others deep breaths, until they hear tapping on the staff room window. It’s Scorpia, with Glimmer and Bow, all cheering and waving. Catra is so happy that she can’t even find it in herself to care. She just gives them the finger and pulls Adora back in for their second kiss. 

When they finally pull away, Adora asks with a smirk, “So do I qualify for the discount now?”

Maybe, having this job at the bakery isn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like every thing I start writing is Catra centric at the moment because of bloom lmaooo
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed that! It’s been a while since I wrote a one shot and it was very fun! I wanted to write something a little more substantial, but, I did not, oops. I have more prompts coming soon though, I just don’t know when, because even on half term break I feel like I barely have time to write. Like A-levels are time consuming ugh. Also for those of you who don’t follow my Twitter (cheeky plug [@bow_woahh](https://twitter.com/bow_woahh)) I mentioned on there that I’m hoping bloom chapter 9 to come out between the 3rd-10th, so look out for that! 
> 
> Remember to eat and drink water and stan Catra ^_^


End file.
